Ambulance case: Court admits audio into evidence as Jakpa tells court Attorney-General assured him of acquittal

Richard Jakpa, the businessman standing trial with the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, over an ambulance deal has told the High Court that the Attorney General assured him not to worry and that the court would discharge him in the submission of no case ruling.  

That was after the court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe admitted the recording between the businessman and the A-G into evidence. 

Under the cross-examination of counsel for Dr Forson, Dr Abdul Bamba, the businessman, who told the court that he had met the A-G four times, said he first requested for the meeting with the A-G through a WhatsApp chat. 

He added that the A-G in the meeting requested for some documents adding, “A-G told me that everybody knows his target is Dr Forson and as for me I was just added so that it wouldn’t look like Dr Forson is being haunted”. 

According to the businessman, after telling the A-G that the charges had damaged his reputation both locally and internationally, the A-G replied that, “I shouldn’t worry at the submission of no case. I’ll surely be discharged and I said okay and that was the meeting we had in July 2022”. 

Mr Jakpa said to his surprise, he was ordered to open his defence despite the assurance the A-G had given him. 

Political expediency

Mr Jakpa said he wondered why the A-G argued against his submission of no case after he had given the A-G  documents. 

He added that the A-G in his response told him that because he doesn’t run his office alone, he could not say no when his team argued against the submission of no case 

“Then I asked him, if you cannot fulfil your promise to me, in your own office, how can you guarantee that I’ll be acquitted at the final judgment since you can’t control your own staff in the office how do you control the judge if she decides to bang me in." 

He alleged that the Attorney-General replied that he would have to appeal from Nsawam should that be the case adding: “Then I said I’ll fight you and the judiciary to the last drop of my blood. That’s what I told him (A-G)”. 

Mr Jakpa again told the court that the Attorney-General had told him in the meeting which run late into 1am, that the Minister of Finance and President were on his neck mounting pressure wanting the case to be finished by first week in May. 

Again, asking why they wanted the case to end by first week in May, Mr Jakpa alleged that the A-G told him that according to the constitution, one could not have a by-election six months to a general election. 

“So if I corporate with him A-G and they can even get Ato Forson one month in Nsawam, his seat will be declared vacant and they’ll go for a by election”, he told the court under cross-examination. 

Mr Jakpa further agreed with counsel’s suggestion that generally A-G wanted him (Jakpa) to accept positions that will be favourable to the case of the prosecution.